I Saw Francis Perform Standup In Philly & It Changed My Life

On Saturday night I went to see Francis headline at Philly’s Helium Comedy Club & it changed my life.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

That’s right. I laughed so hard I got abs, and now I’m making extra cash on the side selling Vita-Health Teas on Instagram. Tea so good, your health is in the bag. DM me to see how you can join my team! #AD

But really – he crushed it. Canadians Alex Pavone & Graham Kay did a great job opening (Kay had me in tears at one point) & then Francis (Maine is pretty much also Canada, right?) kept it going.

From an outsider standpoint, you don’t want to like him… a clearly fit, slightly bro-vibes guy from Barstool Sports & Harvard with a piano keyboard. But you can’t help it. If self-awareness was a seasoning, too little is bland & too much can make you look salty & ruin things. He’s found the perfect amount, and sprinkles it in an intelligent way that disarms & reels you in.

Full disclosure, I was a little skeptical of the keyboard and that wound up being one of my favorite parts. A big fan of IPA and drinking too much of them quickly, I found myself setting my beer down several times because I was laughing too hard to drink.. a true feat when the song topic is Harvey Weinstein.

You’re not allowed to take photos during the sets, and when I tried to snap a quick one a woman appeared from thin air & Dikembe Mutombo-ed me.

But for a visual of the audience mood, it was like that scene in Dumb & Dumber where Lloyd has won over everyone at the party, just on a larger scale & no sweaters.

Looking at his songs, stories, jokes & crowd work it was apparent to me that the guy I sit across from & bug at HQ is not only genuinely funny, but works fucking hard. (It’s possible I’m just saying this nice stuff so I don’t feel guilty when I steal snacks off his desk.) (JK, his snacks are all healthy shit I would never want in the first place.) During the hour he performed I never found myself bored waiting for a punchline… Even the buildups were witty, and everyone around me was in the same boat.

Going to a comedy club can be a pricey gamble. You pay for tickets & drinks but are never quite sure what you’re going to get. If you go see Francis, you’ll win.

And this weekend he won, too, because after the show I took him to some of the coolest spots in Philly. First was the creepily empty bar around the corner for peach sangrias, because what comedians don’t want a sugary peach drink where no one is having fun. Then we went “right down the street” (like 15 blocks through a construction zone) to McGillin’s Olde Ale House. As a bonus city tour: we followed what appeared to be a hobo there, who tripped jumping over some orange mesh & jacked his face up.

Besides peach sangrias, I figured he’d like waiting for a beer, jammed in a pile of people who recognized him but seemed to have no clue who I was??

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Either way, it’s great to see somebody you work with excelling at something they’re passionate about. (Nate & Smitty – nice job in Vegas… you’ll get there someday?!) If you ever have a chance, go see Francis. You’ll get abs & you’ll laugh until your face looks very weird in photos.